Sound recording machines



p 1962 G. HERRMANN ET AL 3,052,785

SOUND RECORDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 13, 1959 United States Patent 3,052,785 SOUND RECORDING MACHINES Giinter Herrrnann, 4 Rolover Kirchweg, Ronnenberg, Deister, Germany, and Ernst Genning, 3335 Erikaweg, Fassberg, Germany Filed Aug. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 833,487 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 16, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 200-167) The invention concerns a microphone, more especially a hand microphone as accessory for dictating machines, which is fitted with a multiple switch for control of the machine, such switch being adapted to indicate the switch position.

The operative setting of the machine mechanism and the electrical connections of the machine are particularly clearly indicated to the user on the microphone according to the invention.

Microphones having such multiple switches are known. The operative position of the microphone switch is generally indicated therein by means of identification marks, e.g.., numerals or letters. The multiple switch has to be adjusted past these different identification marks, which it is necessary for the eye to scan. Experience has shown that this is tiring to the users eyes and may easily lead to erroneous switchings.

The invention prevents this by the fact that the indication of the switch position consists of one or more marked sliders coupled with the multiple switch so that the marking corresponding to a given position of the multiple switch may be read in a viewing aperture of the microphone housing. This solution has the advantage that the user looks for the given switch position and hence the operational position of the microphone device always at the same point. It is therefore possible for the indication of the switch position to be read rapidly and reliably without tiring. In place of marks it is possible for the switch positions such as Record, Playback, Correction to be accommodated on the slide or slides and hence to save the user the trouble of mentally translating distinguishing marks into certain operational positions.

In a further development of the invention, in addition to the multiple switch and a slide coupled therewith for indicating the switch position in a viewing aperture, a device known per se is provided for marking the sound carrier. It is thus possible by means of the same microphone to mark the beginning and ending of a dictation on the recording medium so that it can be readily located for playback.

Finally, the multiple switch may also be provided with switching positions coupled with the indicating slide or slides for high speed wind-on and wind-back as well as for normal wind-on and wind-back. The user hence saves time when locating certain passages of dictation, since he is able to allow the passages of dictation which are of no interest to him to run through at a higher speed. Moreover the microphone is also fitted with a device for over-recording when correcting dictations. By means of this switching position it is possible for additional recordings to be blended into an already existing recording.

Finally, in the switching direction StopPlaybackRecord, a Stop position is also provided after the Record position, and the switch is so constructed that when the switch handle is released it returns from this second stop position immediately into the Record position. This saves the user having to return the slide into the Record position when his dictation has been temporarily interrupted.

The microphone according to the invention may, of course, be used not only for dictating machines, but equally well for other sound recording apparatus, the

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manner of recordingoptical, magnetic, and so forth, being irrelevant.

The invention will be described further, by way of eXample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the microphone;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the microphone corresponding to FIG. 2, partly in section on the line A--B of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the printed circuit for the switch slides with a symbolic representation of the individual switching positions below; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the indicator slide.

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the microphone is designed in known manner in the form of a hand microphone with a handle in two parts, consisting of an upper and lower shell 1, 2. The connection to the dictating machine is effected via the lead 3. In the upper shell 1 there is mounted the microphone 4, below which is an indicating light 5 showing when the machine is switched on, and two control devices, e.g. press buttons marked with the letters L, C for closing the contacts, e.g. C19 and C20 for the purpose of marking the recording medium. Adjoining this, in the direction of the lead 3, are the thumb rest 6 of the contact slide 7' for forward and reverse, a viewing aperture 8', wherein, in the example, the position Stop is indicated, and the thumb rest 9 of the second contact slider 10 and the indicator slider 11.

The circuit generally designated by 13 is printed on an insulating plate 12 mounted in the microphone housing. The individual circuit connections represent the switch sliders 7 and 1t with their contact springs. The contact slider 7 in the central position (big spot) stops the machine. When shifted in the direction of the arrow to the left, the machine runs at times its normal speed in a forward direction, and when shifted in the direction of the arrow to the right it runs at 60 times its normal speed in reverse. When released, this slider 7 with its thumb rest 6 always springs back immediately into the central position Stop.

The right hand switch slider 10, from left to right, gives the following switch positions (see also FIG. 4). In the position 14 the machine is stopped. In the position 15 playback takes place, in the position 16 recording is effected, and in the position 17 the machine is again stopped. The position 18 is an intermediate position between top and Record, by means of which overrecording may be effected. The length of overlap depends upon the switching speed at which the intermediate position 18 is passed over. From the position 17, the switch slider 10, on release of the thumb rest 9, slides back immediately into the position Record. With the exception of the last switching position, all switching positions of the slider 10 appear in the viewing aperture 8. If necessary, it is also possible for the positions of the switch slider 7 also to appear in the viewing aperture, if the latter is correspondingly enlarged. Both switch levers are retained by means of tension springs in their inoperative position. If a transparent slider plate 11 is used, it is also possible for the given switch indication to appear in the viewing aperture 8 in the form of luminous writing.

We claim:

1. In a microphone for dictating machines, the improvements comprising an elongated housing for the microphone to be held in the palm of the hand and having a relatively shallow interior, at least one hand switch mounted on said housing and having a plurality of switch positions assigned to operating conditions in addition to on and oif, said switch including a flat plate member in said housing parallel to a wall thereof and bearing 3 a printed circuit having switch contacts thereon, a slider parallel to said wall of the housing and bearing contacts for cooperation with said contacts of the printed circuit, the position of said slider determining which of said printed circuit contacts are made and broken to efiect said different operating conditions, means secured to the said slider and having markings facing said Wall of the housing, said markings indicating the respective operating conditions of the switch, and an actuating member in the form of a button mounted outside of said housing and slideable in a plane parallel to said Wall of the housing to eifect said different operating conditions, said button being connected to said slider by a pin, said wall of the housing having a window through which the said markings may be viewed and a slot slideably receiving said pin.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch has positions for recording, playback, reverse and stop, the slider being correspondingly marked, and wherein an additional position intermediate the stop and playback positions is provided for over-recording.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said switch has positions for stop, recording, playback, reverse and stop, with corresponding markings on the slider, the switch being biased to return to the recording position on release of manual pressure therefrom.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing also carries sound carrier marking control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,069 Anderson July 21, 1925 2,171,822 Zapp et al. Sept. 5, 1939 2,280,215 Cammisano Apr. 21, 1942 2,611,037 De Napoli Sept. 16, 1952 2,662,942 Winkler a Dec. 15, 1953 2,685,011 Boller et a1. July 27, 1954 2,864,891 Kobler Dec. 16, 1958 2,917,601 Hatchett Dec. 15, 1959 

